It's Family!
by SisiDraig - 2
Summary: Amira's gone and Syed and Christian are looking forward to their wedding.  But will the shock arrival of someone from Christian's past help bring the pair the family they dreamt of or will the change rip them apart?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters, places and storylines belong to the BBC.**

**Authors Note: I've recently fallen in love with the Chryed pairing but I was disappointed to find their just going down the love-triangle route again. This potential storyline came into my head the other day and I haven't been able to shake it. This my first fic in this fandom, please be gentle with me. I hope you enjoy it - or at least give it chance.**

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><p>She was scruffy looking, that was what Roxy noticed first about her. That, and she was different. Roxy didn't recognise her at all. She wasn't even one of those people she saw everyday and did her best to ignore. She just wasn't from around here…. And she sounded different; Scottish … or was that Irish? Roxy couldn't tell. Foreign, she'd worked out that much. So why was this girl asking for Christian?<p>

'This is a pub, not a missing person's unit,' Kat was shouting at the girl.

'I know,' the girls accent ran through Roxy. It was gritty and horrible and a little difficult to understand. 'Can you just tell me if he ever comes in here?'

'What?' Kat frowned. 'What are you saying?'

'Will … Christian … Clarke … come … in … this … pub?' the girl asked.

'Cheeky,' Kat warned, pointing a red painted nail at her opponent.

'Yeah, he will, love,' Alfie stepped in before Kat scratched this new girl some knew eye sockets. 'It's his local anyway. I don't know if he'll be in tonight.'

'He does live around here, but?'

'Yes,' he nodded. 'You're … you're a friend of his, are you?'

'Not exactly,' the girl shook her head. Her messy brown hair, flying about her shoulders. Like a witch, Roxy thought.

'No, right,' Alfie said. 'You don't really look like the kind of person he'd hang out with.'

'Why? What do they look like?'

Alfie said nothing but his rather obvious glance in Roxy's direction, meant the strange foreign girl was suddenly staring straight at her.

'You know Christian Clarke?' she asked, picking up a holdall and walking over.

'Might do,' Roxy shrugged. She was in no hurry to help a girl who seemed to know nothing about Christian apart from his name.

'Great. Could you tell me where he lives?'

'Why would I do that?'

'It's important. Honestly.'

'What's your name?' Roxy asked suspiciously.

'Kelly … Gourley.' The girl held out her hand. Roxy ignored it.

'He's never mentioned you.'

'He doesn't know me … yet,' Kelly said, allowing her hand to fall back to her side. 'But he'll want to know me, I swear it.'

'Why? Who are you little girl?'

'Just tell me where he lives.'

'No,' Roxy smirked, picking up her drink and taking a swig. She'd meant to signal the end of the conversation. It didn't work. Instead of leaving, the girl just said:

'Fine.' And sat down in the stool. 'I'll just stay with you until he arrives.'

"Uncomfortable" didn't really cover the situation. The strange girl was watching her like a hawk, every time she checked her phone, every time she walked to the bar. She wouldn't let her get away for even a second.

'Cider please,' Roxy flirted easily Alfie.

'What's the story with your little friend?' he asked, nodding subtly to Kelly.

'I don't know. She won't say anything other than she's looking for Christian.' Roxy looked over her shoulder as she spoke and, of course, caught Kelly's eye. The girl smiled and gave a friendly wave. Roxy mimicked her actions and turned back to bar.

'Save me,' she whispered to Alfie.

'Well,' he chuckled, 'the door's right there, if you fancy bolting for it.'

Roxy considered Alfie's proposal seriously. Yes she, Roxy Mitchell, might be in heels but that Kelly girl had a big bag of stuff at her feet. Even in stilettos Roxy fancied her chances of escape.

She paid for the drink, took a long swig and legged it. She pushed through a crowd of blokes and opened the door just in time to run straight into … Christian.

'Quick,' she cried, pulling at his vest. 'You've got to run away. There's some kind of crazy stalker after you.'

'Roxy,' he chuckled, holding her and arm's length. 'Are you drunk?'

'It's the middle of the afternoon, Rox,' Syed added with a knowing, superior smile. He was a jerk sometimes, she thought.

'Yeah, you need to pace yourself.'

'I'm not drunk,' Roxy snarled, slapping away her friend's hands. 'I'm talking about some crazy, foreign, Scottish bird trying to find you.'

'I'm not Scottish,' a voice suddenly came from the doorway, causing all three to look up. 'I'm Northern Irish.'

'Irish then,' Roxy scowled. 'Either way, she's crazy, Christian.'

'You're Christian,' the girl said, staring at the taller man suddenly with something like joy in her eyes.

'Yeeees,' he drawled, draping his arm around Roxy's shoulder and looking quickly to Syed as some kind of glanced explanation that he had no idea who this was.

'My name's Kelly,' the girl smiled. 'Kelly Gourley. My mother's Bea Gourley.'

'Bea?' Christian frowned. 'I haven't heard that name in … twenty years.'

'Try nineteen and a half years,' Kelly said. 'And nine months.'

'What?' Roxy whispered, as she felt Christian's arm falling from around her shoulders.

'What?' Syed gasped.

Christian just stood, his mouth opening and closing nervously.

'I'm your daughter,' she smiled weakly.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

'Are you alright?' Roxy asked, passing Christian a mug of tea. He was sat on the sofa feeling numb. Syed was at his side, an arm around his shoulders, rubbing his arms comfortingly but it all felt a little far off and distant, not quite real.

'Christian,' Syed said. 'Is it true? I mean … could it be true?'

'Twenty years ago,' Christian whispered. 'Bea Gourley.' He stared at his tea. 'Yeah,' he breathed. 'It could be true.'

He heard Syed take a deep breath and sigh heavily but he didn't really know how to react. The room was just plunged into an awkward silence, that not even Roxy knew how to break. They all just drank tea systematically and ignored the fact that there was a young woman in the spare room, who may or may not be Christian's daughter.

'What if she is mine?' Christian asked eventually. 'Nearly twenty years old and I've never even met her until now.'

'That's not your fault,' Syed said quickly. 'It's hard to be dad to someone you don't know exists.'

'I should have known. Bea should have got in touch. She should have told me … or someone should have.'

'How?' Roxy asked. 'Did you give her a number for you? An address? She probably did look for you. You're not particularly easy to find Christian Clarke.'

'Kelly found me.'

'Hmm,' Roxy hummed sceptically.

'What?' Christian demanded.

'I didn't say anything.'

'Yeah, what was that 'hmm' for?'

'Just,' Roxy sighed heavily. 'Don't get your hopes up alright. This could be a scam, someone playing on your weaknesses so she can have a roof over her head and food on the table.'

'I would never do that,' the Irish accent came from the doorway.

'Of course not,' Syed agreed quickly, getting up and walking to the kettle, offering her a cup of tea as he went.

'No … ta.'

'Look, darling,' Christian said, heavily. 'It's not that I don't believe you. It's just, this all seems so … unbelievable. Have you got a number for Bea, or something that I could use to contact her?'

'No,' Kelly shook her head quickly. 'I'm sorry. I don't have a number.'

Roxy raised an eyebrow and looked at Christian. He knew what that expression meant. She didn't believe this Irish brunette for a second.

'You must be able to remember your own phone number,' Roxy pointed out sharply.

'My number yeah,' Kelly said, her voice a little flat. 'But not my Ma's. She changed it.'

Christian frowned, searching for the remnants of truth in Kelly's words.

'Sketchy, Christian,' Roxy muttered in his ear. 'Very sketchy.'

'It's none of your business,' Kelly snapped at Roxy. 'Even if you're his wife, you're not my Ma!'

'Woah, woah, woah,' Christian said, looking at Kelly and urging her to calm down. 'I know this is a weird situation for all of us but it's not going to help if we start shouting.'

'Christian's right,' Syed nodded. 'We need to talk this through sensibly. Sit down, Kelly,' he pointed to the free armchair. 'Please.'

Reluctantly, the girl stepped across the sitting room and sat in the available armchair. Roxy and Christian sat back down on the sofa, and Syed was left to sit on one of the dining chair. That was probably for the best though, Christian decided. It seemed Syed would be acting as referee in this situation, it was probably good that he was able to leap to his feet the quickest.

'Right,' Syed said, he was trying to look at all the them equally but he couldn't help his gaze from continually falling to Christian. His boyfriend looked so terrified and anxious, he just wanted to comfort him. 'Er, Kelly,' he turned to girl. 'Why are you here?'

'To visit my dad,' she answered, in a tone that could have easily merited a 'durrr'.

'But why now?' he asked. 'Why not before?'

'I've never wanted to know before,' Kelly shrugged.

'You haven't missed me?' Christian asked and Syed could hear from the crack in his words that he was close to tears.

'I guess,' Kelly said, twirling her hair around her finger. 'I just didn't know you. It's hard to miss something you've never had. You know, if I woke up tomorrow and couldn't use my legs; I'd miss them. If I'd never had legs … I wouldn't even notice.'

Roxy just scowled. There was something not right about this situation. Call it a "Mitchell hunch" or something. She had a good eye for a scam and this felt like one.

'How do you know Christian's your dad?' she demanded.

'Mummy used to tell me these stories about him. She said he was handsome, and tall, how he lived in Walford. She made it sound like a fairytale but really, I think she wanted me to know you on some level.'

It sounded like lies. Roxy sat back on the sofa smugly. She had no doubt that Christian would see right through this. Then she heard him say:

'Of course she did.'

He sounded choked on emotion and she grabbed his collar.

'A word,' she hissed. 'Next door.'

Syed made to get up too but Roxy spat 'not you' in his direction. 'You have to watch she doesn't steal anything.'

The pair went to the bedroom next door and Kelly was left to stare at the younger man. She couldn't quite work out where he fitted in. Christian and Roxy and … the lodger? Oh well, he seemed to be smiling sympathetically at her. Maybe, he could get her onside.

'I won't nick a thing, I swear it,' she said.

'That's just Roxy,' Syed shrugged. 'She likes to judge everyone by her standards.'

Kelly nodded steadily, as though really taking that information in. She pulled at her long hair a bit more and twisted her fingers up in knots before the silence got too much for her and she said:

'They seem like an odd couple.'

'Them?' Syed laughed. 'They're not a….' He couldn't finish the sentence, he was so amused. 'They're just friends.'

'Oh. I just assumed…. So, is he married?'

'Not yet? He will be soon.'

'So where's his fiancé?'

Syed wondered how to break this news. He wasn't sure how some strange kid from Northern Ireland would take the news that her potential father was gay. Still, he was sure Christian wouldn't appreciate him trying to hide it. So he smiled weakly and said:

'Right here.'

'You?' Kelly's hair fell from between her fingers.

Syed just nodded.

'Well,' Kelly frowned. 'How modern.'

Syed chuckled a little, partially out of relief and partially because that was possibly the strangest reaction to him and Christian being a couple he'd ever heard. It was just on the brink of becoming awkward and all Syed's conversation starters were fleeing his head, when Kelly started again.

'Do you live here with him?

'Yes.'

'And her?'

'No,' Syed shook his head firmly. 'Definitely not.'

Kelly chuckled a little but she was looking quite seriously at Syed's face.

'What?' he asked nervously.

'You seem a little young for him,' she said eventually.

'Not really.'

'You are though, aren't you?' she smirked, an eyebrow raising in bemused delight. 'He's got himself a toy boy.'

'I'm not a toy boy,' Syed said firmly.

'Does he keep you well?' she continued, clearly enjoying this new game. 'Is he your Sugar Daddy?'

'No!' he cried indignantly.

Kelly's face turned a bit then and she muttered: 'Well, I'd say you were missing a trick. You could be a pampered Prince, if you played your cards right.'

'Do I honestly strike you as the kind of person who'd want to be pampered?'

Kelly seemed to honestly think about this question before coming to the conclusion: 'No. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't.'

Syed chuckled a little. Touché, he thought, not that he'd outwardly let her know she'd won. This was his house and he refused to let some strange Irish girl get the upper hand.

It was then that Christian and Roxy reappeared from the bedroom. Roxy was holding her best friend's hand and he looked uncharacteristically anxious as they came back into the room.

'You okay?' Syed asked, his concern flooding his tone. Christian looked back at him and smiled weakly.

'Oh,' Kelly smirked, looking between the two men. 'I see it now.'

'See what?' Christian frowned.

'Yous,' she stalled for a moment before concluding, 'gayness. And you….' Her eyes lit up as she saw Roxy for what she really was. 'You're the fag-hag.'

Syed snorted with laughter. Christian did not. Not that Kelly would have noticed she was sharing the joke with Syed. Maybe it was jealousy that his might-be daughter seemed to be bonding better with Syed than him, maybe it was jealousy that Syed was being so nice to someone that wasn't him, maybe it was that she'd just insulted Roxy … maybe it was a combination of things. He'd meant to say in gently but what with one thing and another, it didn't come out like that.

'I want a paternity test.'

Kelly looked up at him. She didn't seem hurt or even surprised. It fact she looked as cool as an assassin and said:

'Me too.'

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading - reviews are much appreciated. This is my first EastEnders fic, so all comments are welcome!**

**The story will be more Chryed centric once Kelly has fulfilled her purpose as catalyst.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Short chapter but I'm still persevering with this one!**

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><p>It had been a weird couple of weeks. Syed had insisted that Kelly stay with them in the spare room and despite Christian's (or rather Roxy's) concerns that she was going to try and steal all their stuff, Christian had relented and allowed Kelly to move in. She hadn't exactly been the model guest but she cleaned up after herself a bit, washed the odd plate and vacuumed … once. Christian and Syed had pretty much let her get on with things, thought Syed was making sure that there were meals in the fridge for her. Christian in particular was wary of getting to know her too well and growing a fatherly affection for her only to discover that she was just another stranger.<p>

However, right now, he was acting like a concerned father and it was driving Syed crazy.

'Stop kicking,' Syed groaned, as he felt Christian turn over in the bed next to him for the millionth time. It wouldn't be so bad but every time he turned, he knocked knees with Syed and managed to steal half the duvet at the same time.

'I'm not,' Christian replied irritably. Syed pushed himself up onto his elbows and pulled his half of the duvet back. He couldn't help but notice the obsessive way Christian was watching the clock.

'Hey,' Syed sighed, rolling over, kissing Christian's shoulder and running his fingers down his arm soothingly. 'She'll be fine. She's just having a night out.'

'It's late,' Christian frowned.

'It's three,' Syed chuckled, kissing his shoulder again.

'That's late.'

Syed laughed softly and reached up to kiss the skin behind Christian's ear. 'I'm sure there was time, Clarkey, when you didn't believe a good night could end before the sun came up.'

Syed felt the muscles in Christian's neck relax as the older man turned onto his back and smiled up at his boyfriend.

'I'm fretting, aren't I?'

'Just a bit,' Syed nodded.

'Ahh, Sy,' he groaned, running his hands down over his face. 'What am I gonna do if she's not mine? I already feel like….'

'She will be yours,' Syed interrupted confidently.

'You don't know that.'

'She's just like you,' Syed chuckled. 'Stubborn, pretends she doesn't care about anyone, out partying for long hours but all she really wants is a family.'

Christian smiled and ran his fingers through Syed's hair. 'I love you,' he whispered .

'You too. Now get some sleep.'

Christian woke up early the next morning. Or more accurately, he gave up trying to sleep early the next morning. He slid out of bed trying not to disturb Syed, he knew how grouchy he'd be if he woke him up early as well as keeping him awake.

He padded into the corridor and past the spare bedroom. The door was shut. He stopped and listened carefully. There didn't seem to be any noise from inside. Had Kelly even come home? He was about to go into full panic mode when he heard a glass tip over in the kitchen and a hiss of frustration leave what could only be a female mouth. He ran into the room, just in time to witness Kelly struggling to quite master the art of pouring. She was clearly still pretty drunk.

'Daaaaad,' she drawled when she saw him. She waved her unopened beer bottle in his direction , perhaps that was why pouring was so difficult. 'Good sleep?'

'When did you get back?'

She looked at him puzzled for a second and then shrugged drunkenly and brought the bottle down against the counter in such a way that the cap came off. It was all one movement, one incredibly drunken but slightly impressive movement and she placed her mouth over the bottle to stop it frothing everywhere. She looked ridiculous. Her hair was a mess, her studded leather jacket was hanging off one shoulder. She only had one earring and 90% of her make-up had ventured to a different part of her face. Her dark eyeliner had smudged to make her look like some kind of panda and Christian realised with a jolt that Syed was right, she was just like him.

'Beer in the morning?' he asked.

'Hair of the dog,' she smirked. 'Better for a hangover than an Ulster fry, that.'

'Well, you can't get hung-over if you stay drunk.'

'Now you're thinking like an Irishman,' she grinned sitting herself down on a wooden chair and picking up an envelope from the table.

'What's that?'

'Moment of truth,' she said, sliding the envelope across the table in his direction. It had the official stamp from the medical centre they'd used for the paternity test in the top right hand corner. This was it. He was going to discover if he was a dad.

He caressed the envelope gently. He almost didn't want to open it. He'd grown to like the idea that this girl was his, that he'd get to find out who she was, how she was like him, how she wasn't. He didn't want that taken away from him now.

'Are you gonna open it or ask it out for a drink?' Kelly's impatient voice broke through his internal worries.

'Maybe I should wait for Sy,' he mused.

'Alright,' she nodded taking another swig of her drink. She slammed the bottle back down on the table a little harder than she'd probably intended and slurred: 'I feel like I'm on Jeremy Kyle under the title "Gay dad, am I your daughter?".'

Christian chuckled, mainly because he was desperate for something to ease the tension that was building up inside him. He kept glancing to the doorway, where he was hoping Syed would appear at any moment.

'Would you like some tea?' Kelly asked, getting shakily to her feet.

'Not made by you.' Christian pushed her easily back down. 'You'll burn yourself … and me. I'll make it. Do you want one?'

'No,' she shook her head too vigorously. 'I'll stick with this.' She raised her beer in salute and then downed half. Christian couldn't decide whether he felt disgusted or proud. Proud, he finally decided. It was probably proud.

It wasn't too long, maybe fifteen minutes, before Christian heard the creek of their bedroom door and Syed's soft footsteps padding towards them. He heard a loud yawn and turned to see Syed stood in the doorway. He was wearing his ugly blue dressing gown tied loosely at the front and his hair was sticking out at all angles as he rubbed his bleary eyes with the base of his palm. He looked adorable, Christian thought.

'You're up early,' Syed noted through his yawn.

'I'm not,' Kelly said quickly. 'I'm just still up.'

'Congratulations,' Syed deadpanned. Then spotting Christian's cup of tea he said: 'is there one for me?'

'I'll make you one,' Christian promised, jumping up immediately. He just wanted a few more minutes before he had to face what was in that envelope. Kelly wasn't going to grant him that.

'Hold it,' she frowned. 'I'm sitting here waiting on you to open this envelope. I ain't gonna wait for you to make tea for your man here.'

'What envelope?' Syed asked. He was wide awake now.

'This one.' Kelly picked it up and handed it purposefully to Christian. 'Come on,' she encouraged. 'I have to know.'

Christian took the envelope and swallowed nervously. He glanced at Kelly, who was still drunk and at Syed, who was still adorable. He steeled himself and ripped open the letter. He just stared and stared and stared.

'Well?' he heard from Syed. He dropped his hand that was holding the letter, tears welling up in his eyes and nodded. 'Yes,' he clarified. 'We're a match.'

'We are,' Kelly repeated, dumb struck.

'We are,' Christian repeated, giving the letter to her and accepting Syed's hug.

Kelly stared down at it. She hadn't really been expecting this. She'd thought Christian Clarke was just a name her mother had plucked from nowhere when she'd asked about her daddy. And even if Christian Clarke had been the name of her dad, she'd never expected _her _dad would be the first Christian Clarke she'd run into in the rather large area her mother had been able to cut down his location to.

'Kelly,' Christian was saying. 'Kelly? Are you alright?'

She looked up into the face of her father, his arm tightly wrapped around his boyfriend's shoulders. He looked so happy, so excited but Kelly could only think of one thing.

'I'm gonna be sick.'

Syed reacted quickest, picking up a bin and putting it at her feet. She vomited straight into it.

'Maybe now isn't the best time to be discussing this,' he looked helplessly at Christian.

'Maybe not,' the older man agreed. And to Kelly: 'I think you should go to bed and sleep this off.'

'Good idea.' Then belatedly, 'dad.'

Christian thought it sounded nice, even slurred from the drunken lips of the alcohol induced mess, which was his daughter. His daughter. He smiled as he lifted her from her seat. It sounded right. He placed her awkwardly on the bed in the spare room and put the bin on the floor by the side.

'I'll see you when you're sober,' he smiled shutting the door behind her and returning to the kitchen.

Syed was reading the letter when he returned. He smiled up at Christian, when he sat down.

'How do you feel … dad?'

'Good,' Christian said honestly. 'Weird,' he admitted. 'But good, really good.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Yet another chapter!**

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><p>Christian came through the door with Kelly right behind. Syed was amazed they'd managed to squeeze down the corridor with the amount of stuff they were carrying.<p>

'Good shopping?' he sighed. He'd long since become fed-up of being abandoned on his and Christian's mutual days off in favour of father-daughter shopping trips, or father-daughter gym days, or father-daughter bonding days. Whenever he asked Christian about it, the older man always came out with the same thing: 'I'm making up for lost time.' Syed had tried to be accepting and he was, in general. It was just that long days in front of the TV with nothing to watch except re-runs of _Jeremy Kyle _and programmes aimed at OAPs made him grumpy.

'Grand,' Kelly beamed, dumping her set of bags on the dining table.

'Yeah, great,' Christian agreed, putting his bags with the rest of them. 'How was your day off?'

'Perfect,' Syed scowled, turning back to _Bargain Hunt_. He didn't mean to be so angry and bitter. He couldn't help it. This had been going on for just over a month now and there was no sign of it letting up.

'I think I'm going to jump in the shower,' Kelly announced. Though her accent made it sound like "shar" and Syed wondered briefly what she was talking about. He worked it out once she'd locked the bathroom door and then than he decided he probably could have done with a pee. His bad mood increased and he flicked angrily through the channels.

'What's up?' Christian asked, as he looked up just in time to see Syed throw the remote at the other end of the sofa and declare loudly that there was nothing on.

'Nothing,' Syed snapped. 'That's the problem. Nothing is up.'

'I could change that,' Christian smirked, raising an eyebrow and swinging his hips in a way that Syed thought would usually be sexy. Not right now.

'Leave me alone.'

'Right,' Christian sighed and turned back to the bags.

It was five minutes before Syed spoke again:

'Anything for me in there?'

'Sorry babe,' Christian shook his head apologetically. 'Was there something you wanted?'

'No. I was just wondering. Is there anything for you?'

'A new shirt.' He continued to rifle through the bags. 'Somewhere,' he smirked.

'So it's all just stuff you bought Kelly.'

'Well, I'm….'

'… making up for lost time,' Syed finished with him. 'Yeah, I know.'

Christian stared at his boyfriend. He was acting weird. Christian had a fair idea why. He knew they were about to plunge into their current favourite thing to fight about but he really didn't want to. He'd had a really nice day with his daughter, he really didn't want it ruined now but he should have expected it. Syed had managed to pick a row with him every single time he went off with Kelly for the day.

'Look, Sy, what's wrong?' he sighed. And in his brain he said 'and so it begins.'

'Did she contribute to any of it?'

'What? No. They're gifts.'

'We can't afford for you to keep giving her "gifts", Christian,' he groaned. 'There are bills to pay. Food to put in the fridge, most of which, by the way, she eats. I wouldn't mind but she's staying here rent free. Has she even offered to help contribute?'

'I wouldn't let her if she had.'

'But she couldn't offer,' Syed pointed out. 'Because she hasn't got a job. And she's not even attempting to find one. She just sits on the sofa all day using out electricity and eating our food.'

'She's my daughter,' Christian shouted. 'She's entitled to live here.'

'Not for free!' Syed yelled. And quietly: 'And not for ever.'

'I am looking for a job.' The argument was cut short by that and the two men looked up to see Kelly, wrapped in a towel standing nervously in the doorway. 'I swear it. But there's a recession and no where's hiring.'

'Don't worry about it,' Christian said firmly, getting to his feet. 'You'll always have a room here…' he glared at Syed '…rent free.'

Kelly smiled sweetly and then blushed a little and rushed off to put some clothes on.

'She's playing you,' Syed hissed in Christian's ear. 'And you're too stupid to see it.'

Syed sat in The Vic sipping his orange juice miserably. This was the worst day off ever, coming in just above all his other days off since Kelly had arrived on the scene.

'You look happy.' Roxy plonked herself in front of him like an angler fishing for gossip.

'With all due respect, Rox,' he frowned. 'Get lost.'

She looked shocked for maybe half a second before her surprise turned into delight.

'Well, well,' she smirked. 'Troubled family life?'

'It's her,' Syed hissed. 'Kelly, she….' He trailed off. He wasn't sure what Kelly was, many things he was sure but probably none of the angry bitter, hate-filled words that had sprung to mind. Christian would never forgive him if he said them aloud to Roxy.

'She's what?' Roxy pressed.

'Nothing,' he sighed. 'I just feel a bit in the way all the time. Those two are bonding and that's great but I'm just getting pushed into the background.'

'I know how that feels,' Roxy sighed. Syed knew she was referring to the way Christian had turned the flame down on their friendship so that he could go in pursuit of Syed. Maybe it was just Christian's style. He liked to play with new toys for a while, but he always went back to his old ones eventually.

'Look,' she started again. 'If you ask me, she's got him wrapped around her little finger.'

'Yes,' Syed exclaimed. He couldn't help himself, it was a relief to hear someone that agreed with him.

'If you don't do something, set some boundaries, she'll be running that house.'

'You think?'

'Yes,' she answered firmly. 'You know what Christian can be like. He's too caring sometimes. He'll get his heartbroken by her.'

Syed nodded. He was sure she was right. Christian could be a bit of a push-over when it came to the people he cared about. Syed knew, on some unconscious level, he'd probably exploited that on more than one occasion but he wouldn't see Christian's kind heart get exploited by some spoilt Irish girl, he didn't even know until about six weeks ago.

'Looking for work?' Syed asked casually as he strolled through the sitting room door at lunchtime the next day. He'd known he would catch Kelly and he'd known it wouldn't even seem suspicious. He'd left his cupboard keys on the kitchen counter. He wouldn't need them until the afternoon, which meant he'd have the perfect reason to go home and get them. The fact that meant he could stroll in on Kelly, sat in front of daytime television, surfing the web on Christian's laptop with the radio on full blast was perfect.

'I'm searching the internet,' she said.

'Oh yeah,' he picked up an apple and sat down next to her. 'What sites are you on?'

Facebook. He'd managed to spot the blue logo before she'd minimized the page and they both knew it. It didn't stop her lying.

'Oh, you know … the usual.'

'Uh huh.' Syed took a bite of the apple. 'What sort of jobs were you looking for?'

'Er … anything I can get really.'

'Hmm,' Syed stood back up and turned to leave. As he reached the door, he turned back and hissed, 'you might have Christian at your beck and call but not me. You either start contributing to this household or you'll be out, got it? There's no room for 'hangers on' in this family.'

He slammed the door behind him and she just stared angrily after him. 'Couldn't agree more,' she muttered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Longer chapter because it stretches over more than one day!**

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><p>'What I don't understand is,' Kelly started casually over breakfast a week or so later, 'is why Syed didn't tell you he was going to meet his daughter and ex-wife all those times?'<p>

Syed could have thrown his bowl of cereal at her. He'd known she was up to something when he'd ventured into the dining-cum-living room to find her already up. She hadn't got up before midday for weeks but, he supposed, it was difficult to get up when you were partying all night.

'It was a difficult time,' Christian said vaguely, taking a piece of toast to eat as a distraction.

'But you wouldn't be angry? So why?'

The question just hung in the air. Christian wasn't inclined to answer on behalf of his lying boyfriend and Syed didn't want to answer because he knew whatever he said it could only cause more them to return to the arguments which had been dealt with months ago.

'Silence is golden,' Kelly sang with a bit of a giggle as she reached for the carton of orange juice. 'Empty,' she sighed.

'That's alright, Sy can get some on the way back from work, can't you babe?'

'Why can't she get some?' Syed hissed back.

'Sy, don't be like this,' Christian groaned. 'Just get the orange juice, yeah?'

Their eyes locked and Christian seemed to be daring him to refuse.

'Fine.' Syed admitted defeat. 'Fine. But if I come back and these dishes aren't washed I'm going to be furious.'

'When am I supposed to do them?' Christian asked irritably. 'I've got clients all day.'

'Well, if only there was someone here with nothing to do all day.'

Christian sighed heavily. He was beginning to get fed-up with Syed's constant jibing at Kelly. Why couldn't he see that Kelly was important to him and that he didn't want to drive her away?

'She'll probably be busy looking for jobs,' Christian leapt to her defence easily.

'On the internet again?' Syed directed the question at Kelly but her valiant protector answered first.

'If that's the best place to look.'

'You're deluded,' Syed hissed at him and left the flat without another word.

'Sorry about him,' Christian said to Kelly. 'I think he's having a bad morning.'

Syed stormed through Albert Square feeling more angry than he had for a while. It was just typical, Christian and he would be just getting their relationship back on track and suddenly, something had to fall into the middle of it and attempt to rip them apart. Kelly was just another in a long list; his mother, Roxy, Amira. She'd fail, just like the rest of them. He was sure of that.

Then he spotted it; The Argee Bhaji. It had never looked so beautiful or so opportunistic as it did right now. He turned on the spot and marched towards it. He spotted his target as soon as he slid through the door.

'Tamwar,' he grinned. 'How's my favourite brother?'

'How does Kamil feel about you saying things like that?'

'He still thinks dad's job is part-postman, part-superman. It's fine,' Syed answered quickly, putting his hand on Tamwar's shoulder and pulling his sweetest smile.

'What do you want?'

'I need a favour.'

Tamwar said nothing. He didn't need too. He knew Syed would spill the beans eventually and he did. Tamwar's eyes widened at his brother's proposition but he agreed to it reluctantly and the two shook.

Syed thought this was turning into a better day than he'd originally imagined.

Christian knew Syed had been cooking when he opened the front door to the flats. The smells of korma and tikka were wafting right down the corridor. He grinned to himself. He liked it when Syed played house-husband and cooked a good feast from his homeland. Whatever Syed said, it was better than Christian's chilli, pasta, tomato concoction, which never tasted the same twice and had probably never included the same ingredients.

He opened the door quietly and peeped around. Lady Gaga was playing and Syed was bobbing along to the tune as he threw some more spices into the bowl. He had no real sense of rhythm, but Christian didn't mind. He snuck up behind him and wrapped his arms around Syed's waist. The younger man jumped.

'Only me,' Christian breathed in his ear. Syed grinned and leant back into his boyfriend's chest. 'What's brought all this on?'

Syed turned and beamed up at Christian. 'I think I've found the solution to all our problems,' he smiled.

'Korma?'

'No,' Syed chuckled, wriggling free just in time to turn one of the pans down. 'Here,' he said, dipping a spoon into the pinkish-red sauce and blowing on it for a second. 'Try this.'

Christian obliged.

'Mmm, delicious,' he grinned, which made Syed's lips curl up in a smug grin. Christian had the urge to kiss it away. He didn't have the urge to stop kissing. In fact things were just starting to get a little heated, when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. The two men spun around to see Kelly stood at the table, having finally stumbled from her room.

'Should I go out for a while?' she asked, raising an eyebrow in bemusement.

'No, no,' Christian chuckled. 'We were just getting a bit carried away.'

'It's a good job you're here really,' Syed agreed, though he didn't seem quite so genuine. 'I think we were just getting to point where I was going to abandon the food.'

Christian raised his eyebrows suggestively and wondered if maybe he could go back on telling Kelly she didn't have to leave but Syed was already starting to dish up.

'Set the table will you,' Syed had looked at Kelly when he'd said it but nobody had expected her to actually do anything. Christian quickly cleared the table of car keys and letters and all the other stuff that didn't have a place and helped Syed move the dishes from the counter to the table.

They all took their first mouthfuls and Christian complimented Syed on how it was: 'Delicious.'

'Mm,' Kelly nodded. 'Grand.'

'So what's all this in aid of?' Christian asked.

'Huh?' Kelly looked up from her food.

'Syed says he's got the answer to all our problems,' Christian beamed, reaching a hand across the table and taking Syed's.

Syed smiled back at his boyfriend, clinging to his hand tightly. He had a feeling Christian might not be so happy once he'd spoken.

'Er, I've found you a job,' Syed beamed at Kelly. Just as he expected, Christian's hand retracted immediately. He didn't need to look at him to know he was disappointed. He could feel it radiating from him.

'You what?' Kelly asked. Her fury was obvious in her eyes but her body language managed to hide it well. Christian would be none the wiser, Syed was sure of that.

'At the Argee Bhajee,' he continued, refusing to meet Christian's eye. 'I know the owner and you said you were looking for somewhere so, I thought I'd help.'

His eyes flicked to Christian but the older man didn't look angry as he'd expected. In fact, he was smiling straight at him and mouthed; 'thank you.' Before turning to Kelly and saying:

'You can stop trawling the internet for hours now,' he beamed.

'I don't really know if I want to work in a restaurant,' Kelly said and Syed couldn't help but smirk. He was sure that inside, she was trying not to explode with anger. She'd been alright whilst Syed and Christian were divided on this topic but now she had nowhere to run. She'd have to take this job, they both knew it.

'Maybe not eventually, but it's a great place to start,' Christian insisted, taking Syed's hand again. 'And once you've got a job, it's much easier to get another one.'

'I've never worked in a restaurant.'

'Well, Sy works there sometimes,' Christian grinned, as he looked between them both.

'Yeah,' Syed nodded. 'I'll be able to keep an eye on you.'

Kelly just scowled back. She was sure that this stupid little man would love nothing more than to "keep an eye on her." He'd crossed the line now. He'd been annoying before, constantly nagging at her to do something but now … actually getting her a job. That was enough. She'd had enough. She wanted him gone.

* * *

><p>'So, Christian and Syed….'<p>

That was all Kelly had said. She'd just said it to the right person. In was fifteen minutes since she'd spoken but she'd learnt so, so much. The first thing she'd learnt was that, on some level, Roxy was still in love with Christian, the second thing was that Syed was basically the bane of her life. They weren't the important bits, they weren't the bits she could work with. Everything else was golden. Syed's relationship with his family had been strained, Syed's reluctance to adopt, his inherent homophobic concerns that left him always pulling in a different direction to Christian's gay-rights, out and proud outlook on life. And then there was the age gap, Christian was moving faster than Syed on all levels.

'Syed's a weed,' Roxy finished, downing that glass of wine and calling for another. 'Christian's so boring now! But,' she beamed suddenly over Kelly's shoulder. Kelly turned to see her dad walking towards them, 'he's promised me a _big _night out tonight.'

'Syed won't be happy about that?' Kelly questioned.

'Probably not,' Roxy laughed. 'Christian!'

'You're drunk,' he smiled.

'And you're playing catch-up,' she insisted, calling the barman for two more glasses of wine and pointing that he should give them to Christian.

'Aww, babe,' he groaned. 'I can't tonight.'

'What!' Roxy seemed immediately sober. 'What do you mean you can't Christian? We've been planning this for weeks.'

'I know, but Sy and I have finally got the house to ourselves,' he whined.

Kelly rolled her eyes. Clearly they hadn't forgotten that tonight was her first shift a the Bhajee.

'Which reminds me,' Christian continued to Kelly. 'You'd better get going or you'll be late. Sy's there, he wanted to help you settle in.'

'Checking up on me more like,' Kelly groaned. 'He's like a wee spy.'

'He's just worried about you,' Christian chuckled. 'Go on.'

Kelly scowled but relented eventually and sulked her way out of the pub and down the road to the Indian restaurant.

'Kids,' Christian rolled his eyes as he watched the door swing shut behind her.

'Drink,' Roxy countered, pushing a glass into his hand.

'I can't,' he smiled gently, placing the glass back on the bar.

'Just one,' she insisted. 'Syed won't be home yet if he's helping Kelly settle in. Please. Please. Please. Please. Pleeeeeeease, with a pink cherry on top.'

Christian looked down at his best friend, puling what was the most ridiculous attempt at a pleading face and sighed.

'Alright,' he nodded. 'One.'

'So this is the special of the day if anyone asks. Always make sure you smile and are polite and don't….' Tamwar watched Kelly playing with her hair and looking at the floor and finished: 'Feed anyone to the giant squid.'

Kelly didn't react and the two brothers looked at each other.

'Kelly,' Syed snapped. She looked up. 'Are you listening?'

'Aye,' she lied.

'What was Tam talking about?'

'Something about squid,' she shrugged. 'Wait, it's the special of the day.'

Tamwar twitched nervously before pushing a jug of water into Kelly's hands and saying, 'just go and make sure everyone has plenty of water.'

'Yes, sir,' she saluted, turning on the spot and sloshing water over the side of the jug.

'Brilliant,' Tamwar muttered under his breath, turning on his heels and making his way back to the counter.

'I'm so sorry Tambo,' Syed sighed, as he walked with his brother and leant on the counter. 'It won't be for long, I promise.'

'Yeeeah,' Tamwar drawled. 'You say that.'

'Sorry.'

'Can you just go and fix the barrels for the soft drinks before you go? We're only getting soda water at the moment.'

'I have to get back to Christian.'

Tamwar shot him with an expression that read "you owe me" and Syed quickly changed his tune.

'Back in a sec,' he said, slipping his jacket from over his shoulders and leaving it over the counter, an action that wasn't missed by his Irish step-daughter.

'I really have to leave,' Christian insisted, as he finished his beer.

'One more,' Roxy begged, clinging desperately to the front of his jacket.

'No,' he laughed. 'I shouldn't have even had one.'

'Go on! Lover-boy won't mind.'

'He will if I'm late.'

Just then, his phone beeped loudly in his pocket.

'Oh that's probably him, the fun-warden,' Roxy frowned. 'Asking where you are?'

Christian said nothing, he just got the phone out from his pocket. Sender; Syed. Roxy was probably right then, Syed had just got home to find the place empty. He opened it. "Stuck at Bhajee," it read. "Won't be back til late. S xxxx"

'Babe. Babe,' Roxy said, rubbing his arm. 'Babe, what's up? You look like someone's slapped you.'

'I'm fine,' Christian said, shaking himself out of his immediate slump and sitting back on the stool. 'Alfie,' he called to the landlord, 'two white wines please.'

'One bottle, two glasses?'

'Two bottles, no glasses,' Christian replied, with a cheeky smirk.

'Wooooooooooooo!' Roxy yelled, her hands going up in the air in delight. 'That's what I'm talking about. Welcome back to fun, Mr Clarke!'

He was filthy. Brilliant. All he wanted to do was enjoy a nice meal and watch the television curled up on the sofa with Christian, but now he was covered in grease and unnameable muck.

'It's horrible down there,' Syed groaned, wiping his filthy hands on his destroyed jeans.

'I know,' Tamwar smiled weakly. 'It hasn't been cleaned in a while.'

'You need to start running this place better.'

'Well, maybe I could if I didn't have to take on people who are useless,' he nodded to Kelly who was at this point failing to answer the simple customer question of "where are the toilets?" 'I wouldn't mind,' Tamwar continued, 'but she's spent the majority of her shift so far, hiding in the toilets.'

Syed just smiled and then went to the end of the counter.

'Hey,' he called. 'Where's my jacket? I left it right here.'

'Oh, I got Kelly to hang it up on the coat stand.'

'Yeah,' Kelly nodded, coming over when she heard her name. 'It's by the door.'

'Thanks,' Syed smiled in a way that looked almost like it was causing him physical pain.

'No bother,' she beamed.

The hours dragged by. The takeaway pizza that Syed had ordered had gone cold and most of it had been thrown away. The bottle of white wine he'd picked up for Christian had stayed firmly in the fridge. The sofa felt a little too big to be sprawled out on his own and the house felt a little too empty. He kept checking his phone but there were no messages, not an apology or even an explanation. He sighed and slammed his phone on the table. The television became more and more dull as the hours went by and eventually, he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

The slamming of the front door finally woke him. He checked the time on the TV, 11.15pm.

'Better late than never,' he said, turning around to see Kelly stood in the doorway.

'Where's Christian?' she asked.

'Out,' Syed answered, without missing a beat.

'Out where?'

'Just picking up some things.'

'Other men?' Kelly quipped. Syed shot her a furious stare and she muttered; 'that wasn't funny. Sorry.' She didn't look sorry. 'Did you enjoy your night in together?' she continued brightly.

'Yeah,' he lied, he'd turned away from her by then, so he didn't see her smirk.

'What time did Christian get back from the pub?'

'Pub?' Syed asked, turning around immediately and glaring at the girl.

'Yeah. I saw him there before my shift,' she smiled innocently. 'With Roxy.'

Syed jumped to his feet, grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the house, leaving Kelly to chuckle to herself.

'We're soooooo ooooooold,' Roxy drawled as the two staggered out of The Vic and down the street. 'I can't believe our night is ending at….' She grabbed Christian's arm and glared at his watch. The numbers wouldn't stand still long enough for her to read them so she gave up and whined: 'it's still early. We should be heading into a club.'

'I can't,' Christian slurred. 'I have to get home to Sy.'

'Now you think of me,' Syed's voice interrupted them. He was storming down the street towards them.

'Uh-oh,' Roxy giggled and Christian giggled too. It was funny. God he was drunk. "Uh-oh" was funny, he was drunk, and his boyfriend was geared up for a row.

'I'm glad you're laughing,' Syed continued. 'Because I'm not. I've been sat in the house waiting for you for hours. No texts, no phone calls. I should have known you'd be out with … her,' he spat the final word like an insult as he pointed at her in a way that reminded Christian of Zainab.

'Hey!' Roxy cried indignantly.

'Hey,' Christian said firmly. 'I was just having a couple of drinks while you were at work.'

'I wasn't there long,' Syed cried. 'I was looking forward to having a night with just you. Without … distractions.' He glanced to Roxy and again and she burst into laughter.

'I think he means me,' she cackled.

'We never get to be just us anymore,' Syed whispered. His voice cracking as he fought off the tears. 'I just thought that….' He wiped his face with his sleeve. 'Never mind,' he gulped. 'It doesn't matter.' He turned and walked off. Christian had made his choice.

'Sy,' Christian whispered, reaching his arm out after him.

'Christian,' Roxy moaned, dragging him back. 'Come on. Let's go to a club.'

Christian watched Syed's retreating figure and looked back to Roxy, who was bouncing up and down chanting; 'club, club, club, club, club.'

It was like having the choice between a good night out or an argument and his alcohol-addled mind could only see one reasonable outcome. He turned to Roxy grinned and joined in her chanting.

'Club, club, club, club, club, club!'

'Find him?' Kelly asked, when she heard someone come through the door. She looked up and saw Syed's face, covered in tears. The man looked broken. 'Are you alright?' she asked and she was genuinely concerned.

'I'm fine,' Syed sighed. 'It's just sometimes…. Sometimes, I think me and Christian are too different to really make this work.'

'Well, yeah,' Kelly nodded. 'He's a club-boy, he likes to go out and get drunk and crazy and you like to eat pizza and watch television.'

'I didn't think it would matter,' Syed continued, as though he hadn't heard her. 'I thought he'd choose me over clubbing, like I chose him over my family. But….' He shook his head firmly. 'I'm going to bed,' he muttered.

'Night,' Kelly called after him.

She'd won. She knew she'd won but it was strange, because seeing Syed so upset didn't really feel like a victory. She felt cold inside and she didn't understand it. She'd broken her mother's relationships up in the past when she didn't like the guy her mother was planning to make her forth or was it fifth husband and never had she seen either person involved look as upset as Syed had then. For a moment, she wondered if she was doing the right thing trying to rid him from Christian's life. After all, hadn't Roxy said something about giving up everything for each other but then she really thought about it and she knew that they'd both be over it soon enough and Christian would have a new fiancé soon enough, maybe this one would have the sense to leave her alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading :)<strong>


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